Mangalyaan Mars Craft – Facts and Technology

Sriharikota (SHAR): Stage has been set for the first Mars mission of Indian Space Science. The ISRO has set to launch its first mission to Mars on 5th November 2013 from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. It will be a long 300 day journey to study the Martian atmosphere.

The spaceport has been named as Mangalyaan. Mangalyan means Mars craft in Hindi. It is in the size of a small car. The spaceport is in golden in colour. It has to be noted that about 1000 scientists spent their hard work for this experiment. The rocket now ready to go. Following are some facts of Mangalyaan:

1) One has to remind the facts that Mars projects of China and Japan were failed in 2011 and 2003 respectively. Only United States, Russia and the European Union have successfully reached Mars.

2) The cost of Mangalyaan project is 450 crores. This is one sixth of the cost of a Mars probe set to be launched by NASA of USA in 13 days.

3) The Mangalyaan Mars craft is scheduled to lift off at 2:38 pm from Sriharikota. India will be the fifth country to attempt this feet and 4th to reach the Mars.

4) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle will take Mangalyaan into an elliptical arc around the Earth. Five solar powered instruments aboard Mangalyaan will collect the data on the Mars to determine how Martian weather systems work.

5) In 2008-09, the ISRO has successfully launched Chandrayaan-1, which discovered evidence of water on the moon. Mangalyaan spaceport was developed from technology tested and proved during the Chandrayaan mission.